ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. chair — a leader
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mug — a cup
  9. current — of water
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mug — to rob
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. current — happening now
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mug — a face
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. current — electric
  24. kick — with a leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com